Raideen
Raideen is, for lack of a better word, ancient. Although its Mutronium armor was impenetrable back in the day, here in the Super Robot Wars it’s not much better than lunar titanium or gundarium. However, its maneuverability is incredible for a 52 meter tall statue. It is easily as fast as an average mass produced Mobile Suit, and is basically a size 7 Gundam powered by God. Which makes some sort of sense, when you remember that Tomino directed the series. Digression aside, the machine responds to Akira’s mental commands as well as physical movements, providing a harmony that allows surprisingly quick response time. Raideen is also a massive drain on the soul, especially when using the God Voice, and this makes it nearly impossible to pilot without either very large reserves of extra spiritual power or the ability inherent in all with Mu blood to regenerate it nearly as fast as they lose it by yelling really really loud. It is equipped with a shield that is basically Batman’s utility belt combined with Captain America’s shield, and is full of more kinds of blades than you can shake a stick at, allowing it to be used offensively and defensively. Raideen is powered by Mutron Energy, which gives it large reserves of power for long-lasting fights and amplifies Akira's psychic powers. Its armor is highly resistant to magic, though the reasons for this are not entirely clear. Raideen is also semi-sentient, capable of acting on its own when it sees the need to, though it isn’t capable of combat without Akira. History Raideen's history before Akira became its pilot is almost entirely unknown. It was created by the Mu civilization to fight the Youma Empire, and then vanished for a few thousand years. Details on this have yet to be discovered. Technology Mutron - An ancient power source discovered by the people of Mu, this strange energy was being studied by Akira's father. Many of its properties are unknown, but it has proven able to amplify Akira's psychic powers while piloting Raideen, allowing the use of attacks such as God Alpha or God Voice. Transformation - Raideen is one of the oldest known mecha with a transformation sequence, dating back several thousand years. Its altmode is a highly stylized eagle. Weapons Systems God Missile - A bird-shaped missile fired from Raideen's midsection. Esper Burn - A pair of beams fired from the God Bird's eyes, which can either damage enemies or help guide it when using the God Bird attack. God Flame - A flamethrower in Raideen's torso that doesn't see much use. God Sword - The bow mounted on Raideen's left arm also functions as a dual-bladed sword. God Boomerang - The shield mounted on Raideen's right arm can be thrown, similar to Captain America's famous shield tossing antics. God Breaker - A sword concealed within Raideen's shield that extends from the forward edge when in use. God Talon - The God Bird has several sharp talons on its feet, which can be used to shred enemies in combat. God Block Spin - Many smaller blades extend from the edges of Raideen's shield, which then begins to spin like a buzzsaw. God Pressure - A wave of psychic energy directed at the enemy with Raideen's horns. Similar to God Alpha, but not as powerful. God Beak - The God Bird has a sharp beak that can tear through most kinds of armor easily. God Arrow - A large arrow fired with the bow mounted on Raideen's left arm. God Thunder - An attack similar to Great Mazinger's Thunder Break, which uses the God Bird's beak as a focal point for the lightning and directs it at the enemy. God Gorgon - A large, four-pointed arrow charged with psychic energy and fired from Raideen's bow. God Alpha - Akira uses Raideen to amplify his psychic powers, crushing the enemy with the force of his spirit. Has been known to cause severe headaches and nosebleeds after use, though this has died down somewhat lately. God Bird - Raideen transforms into God Bird mode (if it's not already in it) and rams into the enemy at high speed, or right through them if they're sufficiently damaged beforehand. God Bird Head Cutter - The God Bird's head separates from its body and is replaced by a giant blade, and both the body and the head attack the enemy from two different directions simultaneously. God Voice - Raideen's forbidden song of destruction. The purest sound on Earth, the God Voice rips apart the target and anything else it comes in contact with at the atomic level, and probably kills your soul just for good measure. So dangerous that even Akira isn't safe from it. Significant Errata Raideen has been described as the 'Sword of God', while its sister machine Reideen has been called the 'Shield of God'. The whereabouts of the God who wields these two are unknown. Midorino Akira has speculated that Raideen is in pain because its voice, and a piece of its soul, are missing. This might help to explain why Reideen has no trouble using its voice, but Raideen has to borrow Akira's, but the truth in this is still debatable. Raideen is left-handed, while Reideen is right-handed. Nothing really important, just a bit of trivia.